The archive · Product Ideas · Product decision · 2025–2026
Wardah's brooch hearing aid for hijab wearers wins Citra Pariwara 2025 Grand Prix
A 12-gram brooch microphone worn over the hijab streams sound to the ear — built for the 1-in-3 Indonesian women over 50 with hearing loss
Wardah (ParagonCorp) · dentsu Indonesia
What it had to solve
One in three Indonesian women over 50 has partial hearing loss, and fabric covering the ears further reduces sound clarity and raises the risk of falls and accidents. Existing hearing aids force the wearer to adapt to the device instead of the other way around.
How it works
Most hearing aids are worn inside the ear — exactly where the hijab's layers of fabric sit, which muffles sound and makes the device less effective for the women who need it most. According to data cited by dentsu, one in three Indonesian women, particularly those over 50, suffers from partial hearing loss, and covering the ears can reduce clarity while increasing the risk of falls and accidents.
Wardah and dentsu Creative Indonesia answered by moving the sound receiver outside the hijab. 'Hear in Hijab' is a lightweight 12-gram brooch-shaped microphone worn on the outside of the head covering: it captures unobstructed sound and transmits it wirelessly to an earpiece with clarity up to 100dB, so the user hears without the fabric getting in the way.
Developed with technology company Digital Nativ, the device is adjustable and compatible with most hijab fabrics. The first wave of devices was distributed to selected users, with a second phase prepared to expand access across Indonesia, and a campaign reel accompanied the launch.
The work won the Grand Prix of Medium, the highest honour in its category, at the 38th Citra Pariwara Awards in December 2025, where dentsu Creative was named Creative Agency of the Year. In 2026 it added a Bronze Lion for Cultural Engagement at Cannes Lions — Wardah's first Cannes award, and one of only 24 Bronze Lions handed out in the Brand Experience & Activation category.
Why it lands
- It starts from a measured, lived problem — fabric over the ears muffles sound for older women — instead of an invented brand stunt.
- It redesigns the device around the wearer's faith and daily dress, not the other way around.
- A 12-gram brooch that looks like jewellery removes stigma and makes an aid women actually want to wear.
- The idea stays on-brand: Wardah's inclusivity positioning becomes a real product, not a slogan.
What it did
Named Grand Prix of Medium — the highest honour in its category — at the 38th Citra Pariwara Awards (December 2025), where dentsu Creative also took Creative Agency of the Year; a Bronze Lion for Cultural Engagement at Cannes Lions 2026 followed, Wardah's first Cannes award.
What you can take
When a product ignores a real physical and cultural friction, the fix is to redesign the device around the user's life rather than ask the user to adapt — inclusive design becomes the campaign.
Since then
The first wave of Hear in Hijab devices was distributed to selected users, with a second phase prepared to expand access to more hijab-wearing women across Indonesia. The Grand Prix of Medium at Citra Pariwara 2025 led to a Bronze Lion for Cultural Engagement at Cannes Lions 2026 — Wardah's first Cannes — and the project became the flagship proof of dentsu Creative Indonesia's inclusive product strategy.
Sources
- Wardah teams up with dentsu Indonesia to launch hijab-friendly hearing aid
- Dentsu Dominates Citra Pariwara 38; Netflix Wins Advertiser of the Year
- Dentsu Creative Jakarta Takes Home a Bronze Award from Cannes
spotted an error? The archive wants to know.
Your turn
You just read one. Describe the brief you are staring at, and see who has been given the same problem.
Free account · 3 free questions · no card